Suffering Well

Introduction

My First Act of Oppression - Hoarding the Brown Crayons.

Adopted. Only-Child. White. Upper-Middle Class.

How we see ourselves, our institutions, our governments is shaped by the lens of the victim or violator.

We all gravitate toward being a victim…HOW we respond in that space is the litmus test.

Suffering Well - This is not about health, etc. This is about oppression. Persecution.

How do we find ourselves in this space…when everyone is running to be the victim.

The Beatitude - Matthew 5:10

Matthew 5:10 NASB 2020

10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This is the closing beatitude. the next one is an extension of this one. For us this is a two part-message to hear.

Part 1 - The reason for persecution & its blessing. (past participle “have been persecuted”)

Part 2 - Endurance, blessing, composure

Each beatitude holds an ethic or a characteristic.

When was the last time you were persecuted for the sake of “justice”?

Two current cultural realities: 1) Christian Nationalism & 2) The Ongoing Controversy at SPU and the FMC.

Closer to Home: Criticized for Forgiveness, Chided for Compassion, “Softie”, Toxic Masculinity

What does it mean to suffer persecution? What role does one’s perspective have on how we see suffering?

Alive in Scripture - Acts 7:54-60

Read by Cindy Strong

Acts 7:54–60 NASB 2020

54 Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one mind. 58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.

The Story of Stephen

Smart & Astute - Won many arguments with others who stirred up the authorities against him.

Brought before the Council - Stephen was falsely accused. Trial was not fair.

Speech before the Council - A retelling of Jewish history from Abraham to David

Quite the damning narrative. Accused the Council of behavior consistent with those who persecuted the prophets.

Acts 7:51–53 NASB 2020

51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, and you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him; 53 you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

Stephen’s Death

Anger transformed into rage with Stephen’s vision…they physically looked like their hearts. (covered ears, etc. inward to outward)

Threw him out of city…what is today called Stephen’s Gate. (Lion’s Gate) - PIC

His response to being stoned: 1)Lord Jesus, receive my spirit 2)Lord, do not hold this against them (mercy)

How does the thought of losing affect our idea of suffering? Does Stephen ever act/sound like a victim?

Alive in Us

1-Consistency Grounded in Trust

Remember the Beatitudes leading to here…righteousness, integrity, poverty, etc.

Stephen is grounded in integrity…there is a consistency about his witness (before council & others)

Resist the temptation to react. Respond with consistency.

No place or setting is perfect - remember how things change…through consistency.

“The culture is changing far more rapidly than it ever has before. And yet, it still changes slowly enough for us to grow impatient when important ideas and practices around health, justice and community are ignored. And yet it changes. Persistent and consistent effort with focus is our only way forward.” - Seth Godin

2-Justice Causes Friction

The status quo is powerful. That is why it is the status quo.

Justice-making ALWAYS questions the status quo. Rightly so. This is inherit in its very nature.

Look at how power works in this story - Stephen has divine power. The council has political and religious power.

"An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

3-View the Oppressor through Grace

Part of the work here is to see oppression/persecution as an expression of brokenness.

Our sympathy with those who hurt is not expressed in compliance. The exact opposite. (Stephen’s fierce rebuttal…)

This is not about “Stockholm Syndrome” - Over empathize with captor.

“Our task is not to liberate the oppressed, but to liberate the oppressors” - Nelson Mandela

4-Disclaimer: Consistency is NOT Enablement

There is an important word of Jesus here - “Don’t cast you pearls before swine.”

Axiom: “What you allow is what will continue.”

The application here is not to be steamrolled. It is to apply consistency in our ethics and actions.

If that intersects suffering…so be it.

If it enables the oppressor…walk away with consistency.

Where is steady consistency needed in your life today? What might it cost you? Pray about that cost each day this week.

Conclusion

This is a hard space to be in. Many of you have been in this struggle as of late…in many dimensions.

Knowing when suffering is legitimate or is enablement is hard.

Knowing if your cause is just can be hard.

Trusting God with your consistency is hard.

You are suffering well if…1) Consistency 2)Friction 3)Graceful Perspective 4)Not Enabling

Jesus asks us to be focused on “righteousness’ sake”…not our sake.

Remember…as Stephen died…Saul bore witness. The oppressor and oppressed in the same scene.

At the center of this and every beatitude…is that God does the blessing. More on this over the next two weeks.